Best Cheap New and Used Cars for Riding Out the Coronavirus Pandemic

For people able to hunker down during the coronavirus pandemic, buying a car might rank way behind stocking up on masks and toilet paper in terms of priorities. But many others still need to get to jobs that can’t be done from home — including healthcare workers, grocery and warehouse workers, and many more — as well as people with caregiving and other responsibilities.

Related: Coronavirus and Car Buying: What You Should Know

And they may now need a car on a budget as former transit schedules — from city buses to commuter trains — are cut back, car pools are disrupted and ride-share services are impractical in many places. The message, meanwhile, appears to show a light at the end of the tunnel, but not before conditions first get worse.

To help folks in need of cheap transportation to ride out the virus and provide services we all still need, we tapped Cars.com reviewers’ collective experience and combed listings to come up with recommendations that’ll get you to work without breaking the bank. We came up with five good new cars that sticker for about $20,000 or less (including the customary destination charge) and five good choices among used cars listed on our site for no more than $15,000.

For the new cars, we chose vehicles with an automatic transmission for the $20,000-or-under price range (though their listed entry prices below may, in some cases, include a manual). Cash discounts or cheap financing, both in heavier rotation toward the end of the calendar year could be a budget bonus.

For the used cars, our picks feature good reviews or a high finish in one of Cars.com’s class-spanning head-to-head comparison tests against similar vehicles. We narrowed the field to those readily available at the $15,000 price with relatively low mileage (50,000 miles or less) for lower repair risk. As with all used cars, however, mileage and condition can vary greatly for similar vehicles, and we recommend a third-party inspection before any used-car purchase. Most of these recommended vehicles — generally older with more mileage and risk — are listed on Cars.com at $10,000 or less if your budget has such limits.

Best New Cars for $20,000 or Less

1. 2020 Hyundai Venue 

The Price: As low as $18,525

The Pitch: An all-new subcompact hatchback with an SUV-like shape that combines a low price and long Hyundai warranty with generous standard multimedia and safety tech — such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8-inch touchscreen and a forward collision system with automatic emergency braking. Cars.com reviewer Brian Normile said that what sets the Venue apart “is its combination of technology, style and value, and that should be a winning combination for many new car shoppers — and, Hyundai hopes, those who might believe they’ll have to resort to a used car.”

Find a Hyundai Venue

2. 2020 Kia Forte

The Price: As low as $18,855

The Pitch: A roomy compact car, redesigned for 2019, that has a long Kia warranty and lots of value in standard features, including an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a forward collision warning system with automatic emergency braking. Said reviewer Kelsey Mays of the 2019 Forte: “Lavished with advanced safety and convenience features even in its sub-$20,000 variants, Kia’s redesigned sedan packs heavy appeal for value-oriented shoppers.”

Find a Kia Forte

3. 2020 Toyota Yaris Sedan and Hatchback

The Price: As low as $16,645

The Pitch: A real value in a competent subcompact car, and a hatchback version was added for 2020. Even the hatchback’s top trim level still is less than $20,000 ($19,745). The Yaris is a rebranded small car built by Mazda for Toyota that has excellent gas mileage but doesn’t feel cheap. Low-speed automatic emergency braking is standard. Said reviewer Aaron Bragman: “Given the hefty dose of Mazda DNA here, it’s also remarkably fun to drive with its zippy engine, tight handling, responsive steering and stylish interior.”

Find a Toyota Yaris

4. 2020 Nissan Versa

The Price: As low as $15,755

The Pitch: Fully redesigned for 2020 and so much nicer than its predecessor, the Versa has nearly the people and cargo room of a compact car, but the price and fuel efficiency of a subcompact. Automatic front and rear emergency braking are standard. It also shares a lot of trim and tech with the Kicks. As I said in my review, “The 2020 Versa hits all the right notes for value for a wide range of shoppers.”

Find a Nissan Versa

5. 2020 Kia Soul

The Price: As low as $18,610

The Pitch: The boxy Soul hatchback was redesigned for 2020 with improved ride and quietness, and it’s one of the roomiest vehicles on this list. It’s also at the higher end in price, but it packs a lot of standard value, though you do need to move up a level from the base trim to get automatic emergency braking. Wrote reviewer Jennifer Geiger: “It’s fun (to look at and drive), versatile in terms of people and cargo room and frugal in the fuel department. Two bonuses: It has great forward visibility for a commanding view of the road and top safety scores — both must-haves when fleeing a zombie apocalypse (or virus apocalypse).”

Find a Kia Soul

Best Used Cars Under $15,000

If you’re ready to shop for a used car — or have a smaller budget or bigger needs — you can check out Cars.com’s detailed listings for these vehicles. We’ve offered a range of vehicles for different needs, but note that our listings indicate that cars’ lower popularity these days versus SUVs often means you can get more for your money with a car.

1. Subcompact Car: Honda Fit

The Pitch: If a city hatchback with surprising and flexible cargo capacity would fit your needs, the Fit is a good fit. It’s fuel-efficient and has a park-anywhere footprint. It was redesigned for the 2009 and 2015 model years and was the winner of our 2012 subcompact multicar comparison test. It also won a 2015 Cars.com hatchback head-to-head test, and we have listings at this price limit for as recent as the 2019 model year.

2. Compact Car: Honda Civic

The Pitch: The Civic was significantly updated in 2013 and redesigned for 2016 — and we have listings within this price range for as recent as the 2018 model year. The Civic is a capable commuter car with a solid reputation for reliability. Cars.com owned a 2013 Civic LX sedan for a year and found it a solid, low-drama experience. The most recent version, dating to 2016, packs nearly the room of a mid-size car. The Civic is also available as a coupe and in sportier Si and Type R variants, both with stick shifts.

3. Mid-Size Car: Hyundai Sonata

The Pitch: This mid-size sedan has a longtime reputation for value, is a reliable choice and offers good fuel economy compared with the competition. If you’ll be carpooling, this also would be a good choice for its roomy rear seat. When the Sonata was redesigned for the 2015 model year, it finished on top in our comparison test among 10 mid-size rivals. In our 2016 mid-size sedan comparison test, it still finished fourth of nine and was ahead of its archrivals, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Used examples of the Sonata from as recent as 2019 are listed at this price; some model years have a hybrid or plug-in hybrid version, too.

4. Subcompact SUV: Nissan Rogue Sport

The Pitch: This Nissan global product was brought to the U.S. for 2017, and we have plenty of used listings for under $15,000 from that  vintage. The Rogue Sport has more people and cargo room than most subcompact SUVs, as well as standard automatic emergency braking. It finished a close second in our 2018 Subcompact SUV Challenge behind the Subaru Crosstrek, which also is a good choice but harder to find in our listings with low mileage at this price.

5. Eco Car: Toyota Prius

The Pitch: You won’t win any races, but the Prius offers stellar gas mileage and an interior with generous space — and the 2015-and-older models have less zany styling. The transferable battery guarantee on these older cars is eight years/100,000 miles from the original purchase (10 years/150,000 in California).

More From Cars.com:

• How to Inspect a Used Car
• Is a Used Car a Good Idea?
• A Checklist for Used-Car Buyers
• Tips for Buying a High-Mileage Used Car
• A Certified Pre-Owned or Used Car: Which Is Better?
• 7 Great Used SUVs for Small Families

Editor’s note: This story was updated Dec. 2, 2020, with more recent vehicle pricing.

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.